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Politi prevails after playoff

Lake Placid’s Nick Politi walks around the third green at the Whiteface Club during Sunday’s J. Peter Martin Whiteface Open. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

LAKE PLACID — Lake Placid’s Nick Politi did a little bit of waiting over the weekend as one of the 40 or so golfers who played in the annual J. Peter Martin Whiteface Open.

Like the rest of the field, Politi first had to wait an extra day to play on the Whiteface Club’s 18-hole layout after the tournament was rained out on Saturday and pushed back to Sunday. And then after finishing tied with two other competitors with low rounds of 78, Politi had to play one more hole and won the event in a playoff. Politi was the only one of the playoff trio to finish with a four on the par-four first to capture his first victory in the tournament.

“It feels good. I’ve been trying to win this one for about 10 years,” Politi said. “I’ve had chances in the past. It’s always satisfying when you’re grinding through the day trying to win and you come through.”

Politi defeated Cory Reid and Matt Riggins in the playoff. Reid, also a solid golfer, wound up three-putting the extra hole to finish with a bogey, while Riggins took himself out of contention quickly by driving his tee shot into the woods.

Politi admitted the round wasn’t one of his best.

Deborah Ward chips onto the seventh green during action Sunday at the Whiteface Club. She won the tournament’s women’s division for the second year in a row. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

“I kind of limped in,” he said. “I bogeyed 15, 16 and 17, and then went for the eagle on the (par 5) 18th, but three putted. I didn’t even know at the time that I had a chance. I heard that somebody came in with a 76, but that wasn’t the case. I played OK. I never gave up, which is the most important thing about golf.

“It’s really an honor to win Peter Martin’s tournament,” Politi added. “He’s had a long tenure at the club. I remember taking lessons from him when I was a kid.”

Three shots separated the top golfers in the senior division. Chris Jacobs captured the win with a 77, Larry Barry was runner-up with a 78 and Randy Quayle finished third with and 80.

Howard Gordon took first place in the super senior division with a 76 and Hank Hayes was a shot back in second with a 77.

Deborah Ward successfully defended her women’s title, capturing the division with a 92.

In the net competition, Craig Leahy won the open division with a 67, John Rosenthal took the senior win with a 71 and Kevin McCabe was the super senior winner with a 64.

Politi described the Whiteface Open as one of majors hosted at Lake Placid’s three golf courses. The other two, he said, are the Flaming Leaves tournament at the Lake Placid Resort and the annual Craig Wood-Ray Randall Invitational.

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